Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for use in a vehicle, comprising determining a distance of a predetermined gesture from a reference location within a vehicle, and initiating an operation responsive to the gesture, wherein a mode of the operation is determined based upon the distance of the gesture from the reference location.

A navigation system is described for a vehicle equipped with an autonomous driving system. The navigation system includes a human-machine interface with a display and a user control, and an electronic controller. The controller is configured to calculate a plurality of travel routes from a determined starting point to a defined destination point. The controller determines which portions of each travel route will utilized automated driving operation and which portions will utilized manual driving operation. Based on an input received from the user control, the controller defines an automatic-manual driving preference ratio indicating a driver preference for an amount of manual driving operation relative to an amount of automatic driving operation. The controller automatically selects a route from the plurality of travel routes that most closely matches the defined automatic-manual driving preference ratio and outputs the selected route on the display.

In a method for estimating thermal sensation, thermal environment information at least regarding a thermal environment of or around a person is obtained, (1) a method for estimating a first thermal sensation, (2) a method for estimating a second thermal sensation, or (3) both the method for estimating the first thermal sensation and the method for estimating the second thermal sensation is selected as a method for estimating thermal sensation, which indicates a degree of warmth or coldness of the person, on the basis of the thermal environment information, and the thermal sensation is estimated using the selected method.

An air-conditioning control system includes: an air-conditioning device; and a control device configured to: acquire weather information; detect a boarding event; determine whether an amount of moisture brought in due to an external environment of a vehicle, which is an amount of moisture brought into the vehicle by the occupant at the time of the boarding event, is greater than a predetermined level on the basis of the weather information when a boarding event is detected by the boarding event detecting unit; and change the control information to a second state when it is determined that the amount of moisture brought in while the control information indicates a first state is greater than the predetermined level; control the air-conditioning device; and set a ventilation capacity of the air-conditioning device to be higher when the control information indicates the second state than when the control information indicates the first state.

A motor vehicle comprises an HVAC system including a climate control circuit coupled to onboard sensors, a human-machine interface, and climate actuators. The actuators are responsive to respective command parameters generated by the control circuit in response to the sensors and the human-machine interface. A wireless communication system transmits vehicle HVAC data to and receives crowd data from a remote server. The control circuit initiates a request for crowd data via the communication system to the remote server, wherein the request includes peer parameters for identifying a vehicle environment. The control circuit receives a response via the communication system from the remote server. The response comprises crowd data and at least one weight indicating a confidence level associated with the crowd data. The control circuit generates at least one command parameter using a set of fuzzy rules responsive to the crowd data and the weight from the response.

An apparatus comprising a radar component and a temperature sensor. The radar component may be configured to detect a presence of a person in a vehicle and determine an age range of the person detected. The temperature sensor may be configured to determine an ambient temperature in the vehicle and operate independently from a heating and cooling system of the vehicle. The apparatus may be configured to operate when the vehicle is turned off. A processor may be configured to determine an urgency level in response to the age range of the person detected and the ambient temperature. The processor may be configured to generate escalating actions in response to the urgency level.

A method for determining a vehicle heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) passenger cabin air filter filtration performance includes determining a vehicle-exterior atmospheric particulate contaminant concentration, a passenger cabin air filter efficiency, and an HVAC airflow rate. The passenger cabin particulate contaminant concentration is calculated from the determined atmospheric particulate contaminant concentration, passenger cabin air filter efficiency, and HVAC airflow rate.

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control apparatus for safety of a vehicle occupant, a vehicle system including the same, and a method thereof. An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a vehicle control apparatus, including: a processor configured to recognize information related to occupants in a vehicle using a radar and to generate information for air conditioning control and airbag control depending on the occupant information; and a communication device configured to transmit the information for the air conditioning control and the airbag control depending on the occupant information to an air conditioning control device and an airbag control device.

Systems and methods are provided for determining, by processing circuitry, a vehicle occupant has left a cabin of a vehicle (or that the cabin is unoccupied), where the vehicle comprises a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. In response to determining the vehicle occupant has left the cabin (or the cabin is unoccupied), the processing circuitry may adjust a parameter of the HVAC system.

Systems and methods are provided for determining, by processing circuitry, a vehicle occupant has left a seat of a vehicle (or the seat is unoccupied), and in response to determining the vehicle occupant has left the seat (or the seat is unoccupied), causing a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of the vehicle to thermally store energy in the seat.